SKETCH OF THE GEOLOGY OF FLORIDA. 
A scientific study of the mineral industry is necessarily 
based upon a knowledge of the geology. The summary of 
the geological features of the State is given briefly at 
this time since the subject will be dealt with in more 
detail in a later bulletin to be issued by the State Survey, 
Florida lies within and is a part of the general coastal 
plains deposits of the United States. These embrace a 
strip along the Atlantic and the Gulf coasts, varying in 
width and covering the eastern part of New Jersey, Dela¬ 
ware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro¬ 
lina, Georgia and all of Florida, as well as much of the 
southern part of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and 
Texas. The formations of the coastal plains are sedimen¬ 
tary, containing much clay, shale, limestone and sand¬ 
stone, and lie nearly horizontal or with but slight dip. 
The sediment making up these deposits, except the organic 
material of the limestone, came from higher lands to the 
north and west. The sea occupying the present position 
of Florida, was in early time remote from sources of sedi¬ 
ment; so that the proportion of wash from the land was. 
much less here than nearer the original shore line. This 
clear sea was favorable to the existence of an abundant 
shell life, their remains accumulating to form lime rock. 
Hence, in the Coastal Plains section, Florida is excep¬ 
tional in the large amount of limestone that it contains. 
In its general geology, Florida is of comparatively sim¬ 
ple structure. The rocks are all of sedimentary origin, 
no igneous or greatly metamorphosed rocks occurring 
within the State 1 . The strata lie for the most part, either 
horizontally, as formed, or with a slightly accentuated! 
dip, and have suffered no great distortion such as often 
characterizes the rocks of a mountainous country. These 
sedimentary formations consist of limestones, sandstones, 
shales and clays. The underlying foundation rock through¬ 
out the State, being a massive and very thick limestone. 
Formerly it was believed that the greater part, if not 
2-GeoRepl 
